11 month old. Discovered tantrums 2 days ago. Now won't stop.

[TheSkiingGardener]

And it's wearing me down already.

We've gone from a very happy smily person to having tantrums over everything. On Wednesday the first tantrum was because I wiped his nose. Yesterday it was because I needed the keys to lock the house. Last night it was to get him out of the cot, then to give him milk, then to give him Calprofen, then because I put him back in the cot. Then because I picked him up.

Today has been similar and I WANT MY SMILEY BOY BACK.

Any stories of how this passes, or is just worse at the beginning much appreciated.

He's probably just a bit poorly and fed up :(

If you don't have smiley boy back in a day or two walk away from him when he chucks a tanty... he'll soon bore of it. Stay where he can see you, just don't interact with him.

Thanks ChippingIn . He doesn't seem at all poorly. These are angry and frustrated tantrums at the world not doing what he wants. I can sympathise with the frustration but it's the kicking, fist pumping, screaming and crying that are wearing me down.

I'm trying the non-reaction/sympathy method. We'll see if it works.

He has a runny nose and you were giving him calprofen - so I kind of assumed he wasn't in top form

They're definitely tantrums, I wasn't doubting that, I was just hoping for your sake they'd disappear as quickly as they'd appeared if it was down to him being a bit off colour.

Anyway, a couple of days of completely ignorning it should do the trick :)
Fingers crossed!

Also, one thing I think it helps to remember is that it must be incredibly frustrating to know what you want but not be able to tell anyone!

True! He seems to be a permanent snot monster and he's been teething for ages. You're right, it can't be nice for him. I'd probably forgotten that

We made him a little chart which he uses to point to what he wants. Now he either uses that or just points to what he can see he wants. As you say, it must be frustrating when he is bursting to tell us what is going on. I'm the one getting frustrated when he points, gets what he wants, then tantrums though!

Toddler logic, that one.

Some of them get to that 'toddler' stage long before they're proper toddlers!! He's doing well to be able to use any kind of chart at 11 months - but he's probably also soooo frustrated not being able to say what he knows he wants.

I'd try empathy & sympathy when things don't seem right or he's miserable. I had a terrible time with my 'piano key' wisdom teeth so I am exceptionally patient with teething tots.

But for a tanty over keys etc - ignore ignore ignore...

I can only agree with the ignore approach, as hard as that can be on us mum's sometimes, especially if we have had to ignorw for a full day of screaming!

When my son had a huge tanty a few months back, it went beyond the fact of what the inital outrage was (getting pj's on after bath). So I sat in his room, away from him. Every now and then I'd pass him his dummy and monkey toy, and he'd throw both away. SO I'd leave them. After 40 minutes of outrage he stopped crying, walked over to his dummy and monkey, then came over to me. I asked if he was ready to get dressed, and he said yes. So he did. ANd it was like a light had switched.

He was about 2 and a bit at the time. Like other mum's have said, your wee boy is old enough to learn that screaming and shouting will get him nowhere. It's pretty hard to have a tantrum when there isn't an audience. Just keep fingers crossed that this will pas. Plenty of positive praise and reinforcement when he is being good, NOTHING when is bad. Kids HATE being ignored!

Good luck!

If it makes you feel better, my DD had her first tantrum aged 9 months and I nearly called the Dr because I seriously thought she was having an epileptic fit.

DS had his first tantrum aged 2 in Clarks, which was a tad embarrassing.

I've found that tantrums seem to come in waves, so you might have a weak where they go off on absolutely everything, but the following week they're angels again. You've just got to power through it unfortunately. Have you got somewhere safe you can put him down if it gets too much for you? I found the playpen was a lifesaver for me.

We got through today with strategic management. Activities in hourly blocks so I could count down to bathtime. Thanks for all the advice.

The cot is safe, he hasn't got out of that yet! One interesting thing is we have now noticed he only does it with me. He doesn't feel safe trying it on anyone else, not even his Dad yet.

I'm honoured!

How lovely to know he's so secure in your love for him that he feels safe to be a little sod challenging Maybe Daddy needs to make him feel just as safe - a lot of one on one this weekend while you go out and drink coffee and meet friends should do the trick